Indirect Speech Act of the Main Character of The Fault in Our Stars Movie
INDIRECT SPEECH ACTS OF THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
MOVIE
Elva Rosyana Eibrizha
English Literature, Faculty of Languages and Arts, State University of Surabaya
[email protected]
Slamet Setiawan
English Literature, Faculty of Languages and Arts, State University of Surabaya
[email protected]
Abstrak
Tindak tutur tidak langsung adalah sebuah permasalahan umum dalam percakapan yang terkadang
membingungkan atau membuat percakapan tersebut menjadi gagal apabila sebagai pendengar tidak dapat
menangkap makna implisit dari apa yang diucapkan oleh penutur. Dengan mempertimbangkan ekspresi wajah,
nada bicara, konteks, situasi percakapan, dan interpreatasi penelitian berikut mencoba menemukan makna
implisit dari penutur dengan menggunakan media film The Fault in Our Stars. Pada penelitian ini, hanya tindak
tutur tidak langsung oleh Hazel sebagai pemeran utama dalam film tersebut yang dijadikan subyek penelitian.
Selain itu, penelitian ini juga meneliti susunan ujaran Hazel yang tergolong tindak tutur tidak langsung
berdasarkan fungsi bicaranya. Dalam melaksanakan penelitian ini, metode deskriptif kualitatif dipilih karena
data dari penelitian ini berupa percakapan yang mana membutuhkan interpretasi makna secara deskriptif.
Dengan menggunakan media dan metode tersebut, penelitian berikut menemukan hasil yang dapat disimpulkan
bahwa tindak tutur tidak langsung yang diucapkan oleh Hazel lebih banyak ia gunakan untuk tujuan kesopaman,
dan untuk tujuan lainnya ia gunakan untuk memberikan kekuatan pada makasud yang ia sampaikan. Penelitian
ini juga menemukan bahwa cara Hazel menyusun ujaran dalam bentuk tindak tutur tidak langsung berbeda
dengan tujuan sebenarnya yang ia hendak maksudkan. Contohnya, ia menggunakan kalimat tanya untuk
membuat pernyataan. Dari 16 data ujaran tindak tutur tidak langsung yang telah diteliti, ditemukan 11
diantaranya dimaksudkan untuk tujuan direktif, 2 lainnya dimaksudkan untuk ekspresif, dan 3 lainnya
dimaksudkan untuk tujuan deklarasi, representatif, dan komisif.
Kata Kunci: tindak tutur tidak langsung, makna implisit, struktur ujaran
Abstract
Indirect speech act is one common issue in conversation that sometimes confusing or making the conversation
failed if the hearer can not catch the intended meaning of what the speaker is said. By considering facial
expression, tone of speaking, context, speech situation, and interpretation, this study attempted to find out the
intended meaning of the speaker by using media The Fault in Our Stars movie. This study only analyzed Hazel’s
indirect speech acts as the main character of the movie. Also, this study was attempted to find out the structure of
Hazel’s indirect speech act based on the speech function. In conducting the study, descriptive qualitative method
was used because it analyzed the data in the form of conversation that need to be interpreted the meanings
descriptively. By using that media and method, the study presented finding that all of the Hazel’s indirect speech
acts were mostly purposed for politeness, and for another purpose it is aimed for giving force of the message.
This study also found that the way Hazel constructed her indirect speech act is different from the purpose she
tried to convey. For example, she used interrogative sentence to function it for making statement. From 16 data
of indirect speech act utterances that have been analyzed, it was found that 11 of those were functioned as
directive, 2 others were expressive, and 3 others were declaration, representative, and commissive.
Keywords: indirect speech act, intended meaning, structure of the utterance
people prefer to use other words beyond what they are
meant when they talk with a view to sound more polite,
quip, or limit the understanding. So it is important for
people, as interlocutors, to understand what the speakers
are said, though they utter their utterances in different
INTRODUCTION
Every day, people are engaged in conversation. They
talk about everything to express their ideas, intentions, or
feelings. Sometimes they talk clearly, what they are said is
what they are meant, but sometimes not. Sometimes
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Language Horizon Volume 04 Nomor 02 Tahun 2016, 46-56
ways. There will be some troubles come out if people
cannot get the really thing what other talks about.
Pragmatics is a part of linguistics that deals with
language use. Then, speech acts is also a part of
linguistics, but it deals with any act of uttering meaningful
words. By using speech act people can make their
interlocutor to do something. However, not all hearers
always understand the act that the speaker wants. So, it is
important for hearer to understand the speech act that
made by the speaker to avoid some unwanted acts later
after having the conversation.
By applying speech acts in daily life, people can
conduct the real activity when they are having
communication in social life or take some media to help
them, one of them is movie. The reason this study used
movie as the object of research is because movie is one of
audiovisual media that many people interested in
watching it. Besides, that is a good choice to understand
the real conversation in understanding the speech acts
elements through watching movie.
The Fault in Our Stars was actually a movie based on
the novel of the same title by John Green. It is a 2014
American romantic drama movie which told about a
teenage cancer girl’s life that was forced by her parents to
attend a support group where she subsequently met and
fallen in love with a teenage cancer boy, and so he did.
Then, together they accomplish a wish that they thought
become the last wish in their life. Support group is a group
who the members are cancer sufferers, they share
anything to support each other. So they could do any
positive thing in their life though their remaining days
have been. This teenage cancer girl (Hazel) lived with her
parents and she had to visit her doctor routinely to control
her medical condition. Based on Hazel’s background, we
could identify that Hazel communicates with others, she
did not just lay on her bed although she was sick. Hazel
did not just make a communication but also made her
utterance becomes an act for her interlocutors (speech
act).
According to Yule (2010:33), speech acts is the action
performed by a speaker with utterance. Austin and Searle
as cited in Levinson divided speech acts into three levels,
those are locutionary acts (utterance), illocutionary acts
(act of uttering sentence with a performative verb), and
perlocutionary acts (the effect of illocutionary). And then,
for the function of speech acts, Searle, as cited in Yule
(1996:53-54) had proposed five general functions in
speech acts, those are declarations (words change the
world), representatives (make words fit the world),
expressives (make words fit the world), directives (make
the world fit the word), and commissives (make the world
fit the word).
In three basis of structure of utterance, Yule (1996:54)
proposed that structure of declarative is used for making
statement, structure of interrogative is used for
questioning something, and structure of imperative is used
for making command or request. Direct speech act
utterance essentially has direct relationship between
structure and its function, but indirect speech act utterance
has not. The structure utterance of indirect speech act is
not formed in-line with the function. For example to
indirectly make someone sits, we can say ‘You can sit
down.’ Clearly that structure of declarative of that
example is used for giving a command.
Searle argues, “In indirect speech acts the speaker
communicates to the hearer more than he actually says by
way of relying on their mutually shared background
information, both linguistic and nonlinguistic, together
with the general powers of rationality and inference on
the part of the hearer” (1979:31). He states that indirect
speech acts is act of speech of a speaker which means as
it is, and also means something more (1979:30). From
that Searle’s explanation, indirect speech acts can be said
as act of speaker to convey message by expressing other
things to the hearer.
Searle (1979:36) proposes that there are certain
categories of sentence at a pretheoretical level. Those are
sentences concerning hearer’s ability to perform action
(group 1), sentences concerning speaker’s wish or want
that hearer will do action (group 2), sentences concerning
hearer’s doing action (group 3), sentences concerning
hearer’s desire or willingness to do action (group 4),
sentences concerning reasons for doing action (group 5),
and sentences embedding one of these elements inside
another; also sentences embedding an explicit directive
illocutionary verb inside one of these contexts (group 6).
Those groups of sentences could quite standardly be used
to make indirect requests and other directives such as
orders, but those are not always performed by the speaker
as structured as that form in order to share their intention.
They have their own way to share it to the hearer.
This study believed that facial expression and tone are
two important elements that used by speaker while
convey the intention. Campos et al. (2004) as cited in
Encyclopedia of the Science of Learning (2011:1) have a
notion that facial expressions are part of a communicative
system for changing or maintaining people with their
circumstances. And then, Lyons (2004:158) argues that
tone colors the words and words color in the tone. These
two points are proven that facial expression and tone of
speaking are important and interrelated each other in
communication.
Also, speech situation and context become two other
important elements that speaker uses to utter their
intention which involving his or her surroundings.
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Indirect Speech Act of the Main Character of The Fault in Our Stars Movie
According to Leech, aspects of speech situation further
provide a criterion refer in determining whether we deal
with pragmatic or semantic phenomenon (1983:13-4).
Those criterions are addressor and addressee, the context
of utterance, the goal(s) of utterance, the utterance as
form of act or activity, and the utterance as a product of
verbal act. And then for context, Hymes, as cited in
Brown and Yule (1983:38), proposed ten large scales of
features of context. Those are addresser, addressee,
setting, participants, channel, code, message-form, event,
key, and purpose.
A journal from Research Journal of English Language
and Literature (RJELAL) - A Peer Reviewed
International Journal, entitled Various Speech Acts in
Disclosing Conversational Implicature among UKM KSR
PMI Unit UNILA Members has the same topic with this
study. The journal was written in 2013 by Zares Melia
from Major of General Linguistics, Faculty of
Humanities, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung. In her
study, she observed the conversation among the members
of UKM KSR PMI Unit in Universitas Lampung,
Indonesia. From the data of the conversation, she
discussed the type of the speech act, also she described
and classified the form of speech. Melia used Parker’s
theory in Wijana (2009) in her study. Method that she
used for her study was qualitative method. By doing her
observation, she found direct non-literal speech act,
indirect literal speech act, and indirect non-literal speech
act in those conversations.
The other journal from Canadian Center of Science
and Education, entitled Effects of Culture and Gender in
Comprehension of Speech Acts of Indirect Request, also
has the same topic with this study. This journal was
written in 2011 by Rabe’a Shams and Akbar Afghari
from Department of English, Khurasgan (Isfahan)
Branche, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
Together, both attempted to find out whether different
cultural backgrounds and the gender of the speakers
affect the comprehension of the indirect request of speech
act. For the theory, they were guided by many prior
works, such as Beebe, Takahashi & Uliss-Weltz (1990);
Bergman & Kasper (1993); Blum-Kulka (1989); etc.
Shams and Afghari used qualitative and quantitative
method in doing their observation. For the result, they
found that from the statistical analysis that there are
significant
statistical
differences
between
the
comprehensions of indirect speech act of request in the
two different cultures, but not between two different
genders.
Indirect Speech Acts and Their Use in Three
Channels of Communication also has same topic with this
study. Three channels communication here means direct
communication (face to face), by e-mail, and also by
phone. This journal was written by Lewis Hassell,
SmithKline Beecham, and Margaret Christensen from M.
Christensen Associates, Inc., Multimedia in 1996. In their
study they examined the use of the indirect form in
collaborative (project-oriented) work to see what patterns
occur in various media. Hassell, Beecham, and
Christensen used Searle’s taxonomy of speech acts,
including his analysis of indirect speech acts in analyzing
their data. As the result, they found that 17%-30% of all
assertives were used to express other speech acts
indirectly. Overall, directives, commissive, expressives
and declaratives occurred more frequently in the indirect
form than in the direct form and in different proportions.
There were proportionately more expressives in email
than in face-to-face. Expressives in email were made in
the direct form far more frequently than they are in faceto-face. Only 25% of expressives were direct in face-toface, whereas 50% of all expressives were direct in email.
So, after considering phenomenon of indirect speech
act and those aspects participate indeed, the purpose of
the study is to investigate the Hazel’s aims of her indirect
speech act utterances and the way she constructed her
utterances based on the speech function. Therefore, the
following research questions were posed as below:
1. What are the aims of indirect speech act utterances
that were uttered by Hazel?
2. How does Hazel construct her utterances in the way
using indirect speech acts?
By reading this study, it is hoped for the readers
theoretically can get a meaningful contribution to enrich
their understanding about speech acts in general and
indirect speech acts in particular. And also, the readers
are expected to be more understand practically what the
speaker is said, especially when the speaker utters in
indirect way. Besides, this study is also expected to be
valuable as an additional reference. It can give much
information to those who want to make further research
in this field.
METHOD
This research used the descriptive qualitative method.
According to Dornyei (2007:38), qualitative research is
fundamentally interpretive. It means that interpretation is
the main point used in analyzing the data. The data
analysis of this study was taken from utterances that
produced by Hazel while having conversation with her
interlocutors. This study used some theories from
Messinger et al. (2011), Lyons (2004), Hymes cited in
Brown and Yule (1983) Leech (1983) to answer the first
research question. And for answering the second research
question, this study used some theories from Yule (1996),
Searle cited by Yule (1996), Searle (1979), and
interpretation.
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Language Horizon Volume 04 Nomor 02 Tahun 2016, 46-56
think we should talk to Dr. Maria. (happy tone
- smiling expression)
Hazel’s indirect speech act, the bolded sentence, in
the conversation above can be interpreted as asking
permission to her mother indirectly. From the context, it
can be recognized that Hazel wanted to go to Amsterdam.
It can be said Hazel was aimed to ask permission to her
mother because her mother’s utterances as perlocutionary
act said that ‘I love this idea. And I... I think we should
talk to Dr. Maria’. Statement ‘I love this idea’ depicts as
form of agreement of something, and then her mother
also would talk to Dr. Maria after talking about
Amsterdam with Hazel. So, it could be recognized that
what Hazel questioned to her mother by saying ‘Can I
go?’ did not mean questioned her own ability to get there,
but it was definitely uttered to ask permission to her
mother.
The bolded ‘Can I go?’ in the conversation above was
functioned as directive because it contained of a request,
and it can be grouped into group 1 which is concerning
with the hearer’s ability to do action. It was because Hazel
uttered it by considering her mother ability to perform an
action, giving permission to her to go to Amsterdam. A
reason that short indirect speech act Hazel could be
recognized as group 1 of directive can be recognized from
the word can in the beginning of the sentence. Hazel
constructed her utterance as it is so with a purpose to
show her politeness toward her mother, even in informal
situation. Hazel could say it in direct form, ‘Mom, permit
me to go!’, but she did not do that because it sounded
rude. The reason she constructed her utterance in formal
form but uttered it in informal way (she was laughing)
was just because Hazel could not hold herself to laugh her
mother’s utterance. For Hazel, the way her mother
thought that Gus was her boyfriend was ridiculous.
Although Hazel was glad if it came true, being Gus’s
girlfriend, but Hazel did not want her mother to be over
thinking and over do about it. So that Hazel acted to be
like that.
The data of this study consisted of two elements,
verbal and non-verbal. The verbal data consisted of the
utterances in the forms of words, phrases, or sentences
which were taken from the script of The Fault in Our
Stars movie. Then, the non-verbal data consisted of
tones, facial expressions, and body languages. The DVD
and the script became the source of the data, and the data
of the study was the fragment of dialogues which found
in the movie. Though all of the discussion was about
utterances, watching the movie from the DVD was
needful in order to be able to catch the setting of
atmosphere, so some good interpretations could be made
after that. Because this research needed interpretation,
definitely the writer was involved in this research.
For the data analysis technique, this study used
technique as follow: condense the data collected, display
it in a meaningful way, draw conclusions, and then
recollect data. Each action contributes to the refinement
of the process until a final conclusion can be reached.
RESULT
To make better understanding, the result was divided
into some parts of analysis, divided by grouping Hazel’s
interlocutors.
Analysis of Hazel’s Indirect Speech Acts toward Her
Parents
For Hazel, her parents were two people that always
understand her in almost her every single condition.
Especially her mother, she would do anything to make her
happy, even though sometimes Hazel acted rude.
Although Hazel knew that what they give to her was for
her good sake, but sometime she could not accept it easily
for some reasons that sometime only her that could
understand it.
Fragment 1
00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:33,559
This conversation was taken in the evening, at Hazel’s
bedroom. Hazel was so excited and told to her mother that
Gus has just asked to Genies to take him to Amsterdam,
and they permitted him to ask Hazel to go to with him.
Then her mother was surprised and as excited as Hazel
was. Her mother could not believe that Gus just met her
daughter but asked to her to go with him abroad.
Mother : Is he your boyfriend? Is that... (mischievous
tone - laughing expression)
Hazel : Stop it! Do not... He is not my... Mom, focus,
we're talking about Amsterdam. (serious tone
– laughing expression)
Mother : I like him so much. I... (happy tone - laughing
expression)
Hazel : Stop. Pay attention. Please! Can I go? (serious
tone – laughing expression)
Mother : Right, as your mom, I love this idea. And I... I
Analysis of Hazel’s Indirect Speech Acts toward Her
Boyfriend
Hazel and Gus first time met at the church, when Gus
for the first time joined the support group. They was
unconsciously collided when they would enter the
basement of the church, then they fell in love each other.
Since then, Hazel and Gus were often hanging out
together. Gus did anything to make Hazel smiled. And
Hazel also did not want to hurt Gus, for any reason.
Fragment 2
00:27:41,240 --> 00:28:09,722
This conversation happened at dawn, on the phone.
They phoned from their each bedroom. Hazel was lying
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Indirect Speech Act of the Main Character of The Fault in Our Stars Movie
Hazel Grace, I hope you realize that you trying
to keep your distance from me in no way
lessens my affection for you. All your efforts to
keep me from you are gonna fail. (warm tone –
smiling expression)
Hazel : Look. Uh... I like you. And I like hanging out
with you and everything, but I can't let this go
on any further. (serious tone – smiling
expression)
Gus
: Why not? (serious tone – smiling expression)
An intended meaning of Hazel’s indirect speech act,
the bolded sentence, that could be caught in the
conversation above was she intended to break up her
relationship with Gus. It can be proven from Gus
statement ‘I hope you realize that you trying to keep your
distance from me in no way lessens my affection for you.
All your efforts to keep me from you are gonna fail.’ This
Gus’ statement depicted that he had already known what
would Hazel said, so before she uttered it Gus prevented
it by persuading her that he was ready for any
possibilities may come even it would not be good
possibilities. Another prove was the context of the
conversation depicted Hazel was too sick. This diagnosis
made Hazel thought about her relationship if they were
still together. So, from the prevention act of Gus and
diagnose from the doctors, it could be concluded that ‘but
I can't let this go on any further’ was intended by Hazel
to break up her relationship. If this utterance was
structured into directness it could be ‘but this relationship
must be ended.’ And, for the perlocutionary, Gus could
catch Hazel’s intention by asking for more explanation of
the reason Hazel uttered it.
That Hazel’s indirect speech act in the conversation
above could be interpreted had an indirect function as
declaration. Even though the structure of the sentence was
like a statement of representative, Hazel stated her
incapability to defend her relationship with Gus, but it was
actually indirectly functioned as declaration. Hazel
declared her relationship with Gus must be end. Hazel
used word can’t in her utterance as the performative verb,
which means that what she decided was beyond her
longing. It could be interpreted from her previous
utterance that contrarily with her indirect speech act. By
uttering a word can’t it means there was something
consideration that force her to make that declaration, that
is the doctors’ diagnose of her. The reason Hazel preferred
using indirectness instead of directness was because of
politeness.
Fragment 4
01:40:19,640 -->01:42:27,719
This conversation was taken in the morning, near
Funky Bones yard in the morning. It is a yard with a large
meadow, and in the middle of the yard there is an art
work shaped big. Gus and Hazel sat on a hill overlooking
on her bed with her laptop was still on her, and Gus with
his cellphone on his chest was lying on carpet beside his
bed and throwing up his mini-basketball continually.
They talked many things about an e-mail that Hazel has
been sent to Peter Van Houten. It was actually the last email that she sent to her idol.
Gus : It's a bit pretentious, but then again, Van
Houten uses words like "tendentious and
"Bacchanalia", so I think he'll like it. (serious
tone – relax expression)
Hazel : [Smiling and closing her laptop, and then after
looking at her cell phone’s screen]
Is it really 1:00 AM? (mischievous tone smiling expression)
Gus : Is it...? [Looking at his cell phone’s screen and
smiling]
…Yeah, I guess it is. (happy tone – smiling
expression)
The bolded sentence in the conversation above, ‘Is it
really 1:00 AM?’ was an indirect speech act that was
uttered by Hazel. By questioning the current time to Gus,
Hazel did not actually ask about it. It is because in fact,
she had already checked the current time on her phone.
The intended meaning beyond what was Hazel said in
that utterance was to let Gus know that it was really 1:00
AM. They have been having long conversation until they
did not realize it. If this utterance was formed into direct
speech act, it could be ‘Hey Gus, it is 1:00 AM now.’ As
the perlocutionary act, Gus expressed his shocked feeling
by asking back ‘Is it…?’ and then checked it himself on
his phone screen.
This utterance clearly was indirectly functioned as
representative though it was structured as interrogative,
because Hazel’s utterance was purposed to make a
statement based on what she knew, considering her action
before uttering the statement that was looking at her
cellphone’s screen. In producing her utterance, Hazel
constructed it by stating the exact time with intention Gus
would check it for sure. And then she also used the word
really to sound that she was shocked realizing it was truly
1:00 AM. The reason Hazel preferred forming her
utterance as it is instead of uttering in direct form because
Hazel did not want Gus to be offended or regarding she
regretted having long conversation with him. So, Hazel
consider choose indirect speech act with mischievous
tone in order to sound being polite to Gus.
Fragment 3
00:45:40,320 --> 00:46:16,479
This conversation happened in the afternoon at
Hazel’s back yard after her doctors declared that Hazel
was too sick to go to Amsterdam. There would be some
risks if she still went to Amsterdam. They sat on swing
sat and swing them very slowly.
Gus
: I do see your point. This is one sad swing set.
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Language Horizon Volume 04 Nomor 02 Tahun 2016, 46-56
on that Funky Bones. Actually, Gus has been arrived
from hospital after infected. He told to Hazel his fear
about oblivion with looking at kids who played kite on
the Funky Bones. However, Hazel did not agree with that
Gus’ fear. Previously, Hazel had suggested Gus to ignore
his fear of oblivion because oblivion is inevitable for
anyone.
Gus
: Don’t get mad! (serious tone – begging
expression)
Hazel : I’m mad. I'm mad because I think you're
special. And is that not enough? You think that
the only way to lead a meaningful life is for
everyone to remember you, for everyone to
love you. Guess what, Gus. This is your life,
okay? This is all you get. You get me, and you
get your family, and you get this world, and
that's it. And if that's not enough for you, then
I'm sorry, but it's not nothing. Because I love
you. And I'm gonna remember you. (vehement
tone – serious expression)
Gus
: I'm sorry. You're right. (regret tone – warm
expression)
Hazel : I just wish you would be happy with that.
(serious tone – serious expression)
Gus
: [Taking a champagne]
It’s a good life, Hazel Grace. (warm tone –
smiling expression)
From the conversation above, it could be interpreted
that Hazel made this indirect speech act by uttering ‘I just
wish you would be happy with that’, the bolded sentence,
with an intended purpose to make Gus understand her
explanation. By uttering that utterance Hazel hoped Gus
could not think about his fear anymore. A proof that
could prove it was her explanation that said Gus must be
grateful with all he had. Another proof could be known
from the context of the conversation that stated
previously Hazel had stated the same thing. So it means
that Gus made Hazel peevish twice with the same reason.
After Hazel said ‘I just wish you would be with that’ in
serious tone and expression, as the perlocutionary Gus
took a glass of champagne and said ‘It’s a good life,
Hazel Grace’ whether Gus really understood it or not, but
at least he could be looked understand in front of Hazel.
If that indirect speech act is formed into directness it
would be ‘Understand it, Gus!’
That Hazel’s indirect speech act in the conversation
above could be interpreted has an indirect function as
directive, because it contains of command. And that
utterance can be grouped into group 2, which is
concerning the speaker’s wish or want that the hearer will
do an action. It could be recognized that Hazel used word
wish in her indirect speech act. And then, as the action
that she hoped by saying that utterance was that Gus could
understand. In producing that utterance, Hazel also used
word happy. This word in her utterance does not mean
happy, but really understand. It could be interpreted from
her previous utterance, she gave long explanation to Gus.
The reason Hazel decided to construct her utterance with
those words was not only to make him understand, but
also to make him really understand, so that they would not
discuss it anymore.
Analysis of Hazel’s Indirect Speech Acts toward
Her Boyfriend’s Parents
Mr. and Mrs. Waters were optimistic parents. Though
they realized that their son, Augustus Waters, had cancer,
they never showed their sadness in front of him. They
wanted Gus to always be a cheerful boy with a million
hopes. There were some pictures of quotations that they
hung on the wall in front of their front door, they called it
‘encouragements’.
Fragment 5
01:38:55,320 -->01:39:32,045
This conversation happened in the morning, at
hospital. Gus was rushed to hospital at the previous night
by Hazel after he called her in midnight. Hazel was
waiting Gus at waiting chair, and then suddenly Gus’
mother approached her with mourning feeling and hug
tied her.
Mrs. Waters : We'll tell him you were here. (warm
tone – mourning expression)
Hazel
: Yeah. I'm just gonna hang out for a
while, if you don't mind. (warm
tone – smiling expression)
Mrs. Waters : Yeah, of course. (warm tone – smiling
expression)
The indirect speech act of Hazel in the conversation
above is the bolded sentence of ‘I'm just gonna hang out
for a while, if you don't mind.’ This utterance could be
interpreted that it was to ask for permission to Mrs.
Waters to meet her son. It could be proven by considering
the last clause of the sentence, ‘if you don’t mind’ in her
last sentence. If this utterance was formed into direct
speech act, it could be ‘Permit me to hang out with Gus
later!’ but it sounds rude. So that Hazel used indirect
speech act to sound more polite. As the perlocutionary
act, Mrs. Waters permitted Hazel by saying, ‘Yeah, of
course.’
‘I'm just gonna hang out for a while, if you don't
mind’ in the conversation above could be recognized that
it had an indirect function as directive because it
contained a request, asking for permission to Mrs.
Waters. This utterance was belonged into group 4, which
is concerning the hearer’s desire or willingness to do an
action, giving permission. Hazel chose a slang word
gonna which means going to. She used it to be uttered in
order to make the setting of the atmosphere much better,
she did not wanted Mrs. Water to be too sad about her
51
Indirect Speech Act of the Main Character of The Fault in Our Stars Movie
son’s condition. Hazel also preferred to choose clause if
you don’t mind in a purpose to ask for permission politely
to Mrs. Waters. And Mrs. Waters could understand it
well.
that has made by Peter, even it was just a word made by
him. This term was actually used by Hazel to give force
toward her message that she conveyed to Isaac. Hazel also
used a swearword asshole to address Peter. This term also
used to express how peevish she was when Isaac talked
about Peter.
Analysis of Hazel’s Indirect Speech Acts toward Her
Friend
The only person that closed to Hazel beside her
parents and Gus was Isaac. Isaac was actually Gus’ best
friend. He suggested Gus joined the support group and
incidentally fell in love with Hazel. For Hazel, Isaac was
a good and humorous person. Previously, Isaac was so
proud of his girlfriend, Monica. However it was no
longer after they broke up.
Fragment 6
Analysis of Hazel’s Indirect Speech Acts toward Her
Doctors
Hazel’s doctors were very care to her. They suggested
Hazel to go to support group and do some activities in
order not to lose her spirit. They would hardly forbid her
anything that considered endangering her medical
condition, including permitting Hazel went to Amsterdam.
Even though, it is a big dream for Hazel, her doctors
would not her get it with the big risk of her medical
condition.
Fragment 7
00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:40,159
This conversation happened in the afternoon, at
hospital, specifically at Dr. Maria’s room. Hazel and her
mother decided to talk to Dr. Maria after Genies gave
permission to let her go to Amsterdam with Gus.
However, Dr. Maria hesitated because of a certain
reasons.
Dr. Maria
: I don't know. (serious tone – serious
expression)
Hazel
: But you said that the PET scan was
encouraging. (serious tone – serious
expression)
Dr. Maria
: Well, the PET scan is encouraging, but
we don't know how long it will stay that
way. (serious tone – serious expression)
Indirect speech act that was produced by Hazel in the
conversation above, the bolded sentence, was indirectly
purposed to question about a statement that Dr. Maria
was said before. It could be interpreted as it is so because
Hazel said ‘But you said that…’ It means that the
statement of ‘PET scan was encouraging’ has been
uttered by Dr. Maria previously. And then after that she
had no idea about Hazel’s plan to go to Amsterdam, ‘I
don’t know.’ From this two difference opinion of Dr.
Maria, Hazel got confused so that she questioned it. And
for the perlocutionary, Dr. Maria could get Hazel’s
intention by giving her more explanation. If that Hazel’s
utterance was formed into direct speech act, it could be
‘Don’t you said that the PET scan was encouraging?’
‘But you said that the PET scan was encouraging’ in
the conversation above could be interpreted has an
indirect function as directive, because it consisted of a
request for the hearer to do something. And also, that
utterance could be grouped into group 3, which is
concerning with the hearer to do an action. Hazel
questioned about the two difference opinions that stated
02:03:17,280 --> 02:03:24,759
This conversation happened at Hazel’s back yard in
the afternoon. It was several hours after Gus’ funeral has
been held. Isaac decided to meet Hazel after going back
from cemetery. After talking about Gus with Hazel,
suddenly Isaac asked about a letter that previously Hazel
thrown it down after Peter gave it to her.
Hazel : Yeah, well, I’m over it. I have no interest in
reading another word of that asshole's
again. (serious tone – serious expression)
Isaac : No, he didn't write it. Gus wrote it. (serious
tone – serious expression)
An intended meaning of Hazel’s utterance in the
conversation above, the bolded sentence, was to express
her vexation of Peter after what he has done to her and
Gus. Previously, in Amsterdam Hazel and Gus got a bad
treatment from Peter, a person whom his writing was
used to impress her and Gus. So, without want to know
the content of the letter, Hazel directly threw it because
she was still peevish toward him. So, considering Hazel’s
previous experience visiting Peter in Amsterdam, it could
be interpreted that Hazel’s indirect speech act in the
conversation above was aimed to express her feeling
while Isaac started to discuss a letter that Peter gave to
her. If it was formed in to direct speech act, it would be ‘I
don’t want to read another word of that asshole’s again.’
And as the perlocutionary, Isaac understood it by giving
Hazel a short explanation about the letter.
‘I have no interest in reading another word of that
asshole's again’ has intended function as expressive.
Although structurally the sentence was formed as
statement of representative, it was actually functioned as
expressive. Hazel used a word have which was functioned
as performative verb before her real intention was
conveyed. Hazel preferred describing speech acts being
performed instead of explicitly performing her intention.
In her utterance, she also used word another word which
means she really did not want to read any kind of writing
52
Language Horizon Volume 04 Nomor 02 Tahun 2016, 46-56
by Dr. Maria. Hazel used word but in the beginning of her
utterance because but usually be used to link different
statement. So, by using word but it means that Hazel
considered that what was just said by Dr. Maria was the
opposite of what she has been said previously. Dr. Maria
could understand what made Hazel confused, so that she
directly explained it more to Hazel.
that indirect speech act utterance was Peter could stop
talking about it, because it just made her more peevish and
sad. Hazel preferred producing indirect speech act instead
of the direct one because for Hazel utterance ‘Stop talking
about it!’ was not enough to force her intention toward
Peter that was a stubborn person.
Analysis of Hazel’s Indirect Speech Acts toward Her
Idol’s Assistance
The name of Peter Van Houten’s assistant was Lidewij
Vliegenthart. In the movie, she was depicted as a humble
person. She regretted Peter’s attitude toward Hazel and
Gus when they were visiting Amsterdam.
Fragment 9
01:15:08,160 --> 01:15:15,959
This conversation happened in the morning, in front
of Anne Frank House. Lidewij asked Hazel and Gus to
have sightseeing after both previously have been chased
away by Peter from his house. It was like an apology that
Lidewij made to Hazel and Gus of what Peter has done to
them both.
Lidewij : I'm afraid there's no elevator. (regret tone –
regret expression)
Hazel
: Oh. That's all right. (calm tone – serious
expression)
Lidewij : There are many stairs. Steep stairs. (warm
tone – regret expression)
Hazel
: I can do it. (serious tone – serious
expression)
[Started entering the building followed by
Lidewij and Gus)
The purpose of Hazel produced indirect speech act by
uttering ‘I can do it’, the bolded sentence in the
conversation above, was to promise to Lidewij and Gus
that she would be okay with those steep stairs in that
building. As we know, Hazel had problem with her lungs.
Commonly, people with lungs problem would get
difficult to breathe when stepping stairs, more over it was
steep stairs. It is indirectly purposed as promise could be
proved by the action of Hazel after assertively make that
statement. If this utterance is formed into direct speech
act it would be ‘I’ll do it.’
That Hazel’s indirect speech act in the conversation
above could be interpreted has a function as commissive.
Even though the utterance was structurally representative,
but there was an intended meaning that made Hazel to do
the future action. This utterance can be said has
commissive function because there is word can that
indirectly means as a strong power based on the speaker’s
belief that they will give a future action, that is a proof of
what they have been said.
Analysis of Hazel’s Indirect Speech Acts toward Her
Idol
For Hazel, Peter Van Houten was a great author. Hazel
many times read his work entitled An Imperial Affection.
After reading that novel, Hazel got a series of haunted
questions. So that, she would like to meet him to get that
answers. However, Hazel got a big disappointed after
knowing his real attitude.
Fragment 8
01:58:15,120 --> 02:00:14,879
This conversation happened in the afternoon in the
Hazel’s car after the funeral of Gus has been held.
Suddenly, Peter with a bottle of vodka in his hand opened
the car door and then sat beside wheel in order to talk to
Hazel inside. Peter tried to explain something that was
made Hazel and Gus curious about.
Peter : I attend his funeral and tell you what became of
Anna and her mother. So here I am. And that's
your answer, omnis cellula e cellula. "Life
comes from life." (serious tone – serious
expression)
Hazel : I'm really not in the mood. (serious tone –
serious expression)
Peter : You don't want an explanation? (serious tone –
serious expression)
The bolded sentence in the conversation above, ‘I'm
really not in the mood’, was the perlocutionary act of
Peter’s short explanation to answer Hazel’s question of
his novel. This utterance was purposed to reject Peter’s
intention to talk about his book. It could be proved by
considering Hazel tone and expression that not as excited
as other people when meeting their idol. Another proof
was the perlocutionary act made by Peter that said ‘You
don't want an explanation?’ which means Peter
considered he had been rejected by Hazel. If this indirect
speech act was formed into direct speech act, it could be
‘Stop talking about it!’
That Hazel utterance indirectly has a function as
directive, because it contained a command in her
utterance. And this utterance also could be belonged to
group 5, which is concerning with reason for hearer to do
an action. The reason was she was still upset of Peter’s
attitude. Previously, she and Gus need an explanation
from Peter, but they were treated so badly. And then,
when Gus’ funeral has been held, Peter coerced to give an
explanation. The action that Hazel hoped by producing
53
Indirect Speech Act of the Main Character of The Fault in Our Stars Movie
Analysis of Hazel’s Indirect Speech Acts toward
Stranger
While waiting for Gus, Hazel sat on waiting chair, and
then a little girl who was addressed Jackie. And then, they
had a small talk. Hazel was glad talking to her.
Fragment 10
Hazel’s Aim of Producing Indirect Speech Acts
Hazel used indirect speech acts in almost her daily
communication, whether by phone, texting, or face-toface. She produced it to share her intentions to her
interlocutors. All of her intended meanings of her
utterances can be known by considering some aspects.
Those are her tone of speaking, facial expression, speech
situation, and context. However, not all those aspects
must be occurred first, and then the aims or intended
meanings could be identified. Only considering some of
those aspects, the purpose of Hazel producing indirect
speech acts can be recognized.
Both as the speaker and hearer must consider those
aspects, at least one aspect. As the speaker, considering
those aspects are needed in order the hearer can get their
aim easily. And as the hearer, those aspects are also
needed to be considered so that the speaker’s aim can be
accepted. It is because those aspects are establishing the
communication can be run well or not. For example on
the fragment 10, Hazel considered the event of speech
function, which is related to time, place, situation and
psychological situation. She considered her medical
condition, her interlocutor’s condition (age), and the
situation at airport. So that, Hazel did not offended her
interlocutor and her intention still could be conveyed
well.
Many aspects must be considered, especially for the
hearer, because when the speaker produced indirect
speech act, they are not only uttering as what it is, but
there is intended aim of their utterances. For example on
fragment 2, Hazel said ‘Is it really 1:00 AM?’, and the
actual intended meaning is not only asking, but also to
remain Gus about the time and how long they had the
conversation. This is the challenge of understanding
indirect speech acts, the utterance is not same with the
intention. This is also supported by theory of indirect
speech acts:
In indirect speech acts the speaker communicates
to the hearer more than he actually says by way of
relying on their mutually shared background
information, both linguistic and nonlinguistic,
together with the general powers of rationality and
inference on the part of the hearer. (Searle,
1979:31).
Most of Hazel’s indirect speech acts were produced in
purpose to show her politeness toward her interlocutors.
For example on fragment 12, Hazel said ‘Do you want to
talk about it?’ She used indirectness to show her
politeness toward friend, Isaac. And for another example
on fragment 6, ‘Can I go?’ It is used by Hazel to show
her politeness toward her mother. This result is proving
the theory of politeness in indirect speech acts by Searle
as cited at Yule (56:1996) that said in English indirect
speech acts are commonly related with greater politeness
00:52:41,200 --> 00:53:22,079
This conversation was taken in the morning at airport.
A little girl came to Hazel and wondered about Hazel’s
cannula and then asked some curious questions, and then
finally Hazel let her to try her cannula willingly.
Hazel : [Take a long inhale and take the cannula off,
then put it on that little girl]
Come here. There ya go. (warm tone – smiling
and detained breath expression)
Jackie : It tickles! I think I'm breathing better. (happy
tone – smiling expression)
Hazel : I would love to give it to you, but I kind of
could use the help. (warm tone – smiling and
detained breath expression)
Jackie : Thanks for letting me try it. (excited tone –
smiling expression)
The aim of Hazel uttered that the bolded
sentence in the conversation above was to take her
cannula back from Jackie. It could be proven from
Hazel’s action that she lent it to Jackie for a moment. As
being explained that Hazel had problem with her lungs,
definitely Hazel could not breathe without cannula and
tube of oxygen (see 3.2). If that utterance was formed
into direct speech act, it could be ‘Give that cannula back
to me!’ As the perlocutionary act, Jackie could catch the
intention of Hazel and then gave it back to her. Jackie
also said thank you to show her politeness toward Hazel.
Hazel’s indirect speech act of the conversation above
can be interpreted has an indirect function as directive.
There was an order intention behind her utterance. This
utterance could be grouped into group 5 which is
concerning with reason for hearer to do an action. The
reason was Hazel could not breathe without her medical
tools, and the action that she hoped by uttering that
utterance was Jackie could give that cannula back to her.
Hazel used word would love to sound more polite. She
also stated her relationship with the cannula, which was
very important, ‘but I kind of could use the help’ in order
Jackie could understand it.
DISCUSSION
After watching The Fault in Our Stars movie and
analyzing the data, the aims of Hazel produced indirect
speech acts can be recognized. Also, the way she
constructed her indirect speech acts based on the speech
function can be identified along with the reason. In this
section, what has been analyzed based on the data above
is shown.
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Language Horizon Volume 04 Nomor 02 Tahun 2016, 46-56
than direct speech acts. The true relation between indirect
speech act and politeness is also supported by Rabe’a
Shams and Akbar Afghariin in their study entitled Effects
of Culture and Gender in Comprehension of Speech Acts
of Indirect Request. They concluded:
“People are well aware of the fact that some,
mostly negative, information cannot or should not
be expressed explicitly or directly and that indirect
strategies should be applied for successful
communication.” (Shams and Afghariin 2011:283)
Considering as the way of showing politeness is also
agreed by Zares Melia in her work, a journal from
Research Journal of English Language and Literature
(RJELAL) - A Peer Reviewed International Journal,
entitled Various Speech Acts in Disclosing
Conversational Implicature among UKM KSR PMI Unit
UNILA Members. In her study, she found that direct
literal speech act cannot be found because it is closely
related to the effect of politeness. Thus, the disclosure
strategies are more often used indirect or non-literal.
However, beside Hazel shared her intentions by using
indirect speech acts in order to be more polite, sometime
she produced indirectness for other purposes. Take a look
at the fragment 8. Hazel said ‘I'm really not in the mood’
after Peter trying to explain what she asked to him
several weeks ago in Amsterdam. It is proven that what
Hazel said is clearly not aimed to show politeness, but
she wanted to reject Peter’s explanation by giving force
of the message in her utterance. This phenomenon is
supported by indirectness theory:
People also use indirect strategies when they want
to make their speech more interesting, when they
want to reach goals different from their partners or
when they want to increase the force of the
message communicated. (Thomas 1983:143)
Three Channels of Communication which concluded that
from their analysis of the data, requests or directives were
71.8% made indirectness. Other four Hazel’s utterances
of indirect speech act belonged to declaration,
representative, expressive, and commissive.
For directive function, Hazel mostly constructed her
utterances into group 1 to 5 based on pretheoretical level
which is proposed by Searle (1979:36. Those Hazel used
for formal and informal situation. However, not all
categories are found in the data analysis above. Only
group 6 is not found in Hazel’s indirect directives. It may
be because in the movie, Hazel was not depicted facing
excessively formal situation.
CONCLUSION
After doing analysis and discussion, there are a
certain purposes that Hazel conveyed while producing
indirect speech acts. Some aspects are needed to be
concerned in order the message can be delivered by the
speaker, and understood by the hearer. In indirect speech
acts, tone of speaking, facial expression, context, and
speech situation are four important factors the
conversation can run well. If the hearers do not
understand the real intention of the speaker, they still can
understand, or at least guess it, by considering those four
factors.
From the previous result, we can see Hazel had
conversations with some people. And almost all of those
people can get the message or intention from Hazel,
though she used utterance which did not mean as it is.
However, although all of her interlocutors could catch up
Hazel’s intended intention, not all of them wanted to do
an action like she hoped. Some causes are found, those
purposed to make her peevish or keep her save.
The last point can be concluded from this study is that
the way Hazel constructed her indirect speech act
utterance is not the only factor the intention of Hazel
could be understood well by her interlocutor, because the
utterance form is not in line exactly with the meaning. So,
interpretation by considering four aspects that already
stated previously are very important in understanding the
intended meaning of indirect speech act
Form of Hazel’s Indirect Speech Acts Based on the
Speech Function
Based on the speech function, Hazel constructed her
indirect speech acts with a certain reasons and purposes.
The way she constructed her utterance was interesting
because what she uttered is different with her intended
intention. Sometimes it is formed as declarative sentence
but the function is as command, when it is formed into
interrogative sentence the function is for making
statement, etc. Politeness, interesting impression, and
forcing message are the reason Hazel chose those certain
structure of words, phrase, and sentence to be uttered.
The form of indirect speech acts that were produced
by Hazel mostly has function as directive. From those
data that has been analyzed above, there are 11 of 16
Hazel’s utterances of indirect speech act that were
functioned as directive. This result is also same with a
journal entitled Indirect Speech Acts and Their Use in
SUGGESTION
After reading this study, it is expected for the next
research with the same topic about indirect speech acts
can be better do the research.
It would be much
better if the next research with the same topic can analyze
the data not only from Pragmatics perspective, but also
Sociolinguistics. It is because indirect speech acts are
related with social context and language. It also will be
interesting for the next researcher can relate it with a
certain cultures.
55
Indirect Speech Act of the Main Character of The Fault in Our Stars Movie
Finally, it is hoped this study of Indirect Speech Acts
of the Main Character of The Fault in Our Stars Movie
can give some helps for the next researcher who will do
research in the same topic. It is also hoped this study can
give contribution to the readers’ understanding in
comprehend indirect speech acts, so that the readers can
apply it for their daily communication.
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